Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to take steps to help ensure private telecommunications infrastructure providers are unable to install hardware without consultation with local communities.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We deprecate the installation of unnecessarily intrusive telecommunications infrastructure, especially where operators have not cooperated in sharing infrastructure or followed guidelines such as consulting communities. Planning regulations aim to strike a balance between the economic and social benefits of investments in digital infrastructure and the needs and concerns of local communities.
The deployment of telecoms infrastructure in England requires planning permission. Most telecommunications infrastructure, including new masts and poles, benefit from permitted development rights.
Regulations and guidelines set out the requirements that communications providers must adhere to when exercising these rights, including any requirements to engage with or notify local planning authorities prior to deploying new infrastructure, and any expectations for engaging with communities. Local planning authorities have discretion on engaging communities about proposed applications.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for how long will the Government fund free breakfast clubs.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has introduced the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which will mean every state-funded school with primary aged children will offer a free breakfast club. This will ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, can have a supportive start to the school day. The Bill will also mean that breakfast clubs will be enshrined in law, ensuring the longevity of the breakfast clubs policy.
From April 2025, up to 750 participating schools in the early adopter programme will be funded to provide access to a free, universal breakfast club lasting at least 30 minutes and including food.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to increase his Department's support for (a) Commonwealth veterans and (b) British army veterans born outside of the UK.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. I am working across Government and with civil society to ensure veterans get access to the support they need.
The Government is deeply grateful to all those who serve in our Armed Forces and recognises the huge contribution that Commonwealth veterans have made to our national security throughout our history. This gratitude is being converted into action with the Government’s manifesto commitment to scrap visa fees for non-UK veterans who have served more than four years and their families. The MOD is working with the Home Office to implement this commitment.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve unity amongst his European counterparts on the provision of support to Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is in constant contact with European partners to ensure that Ukraine has the support it needs. The Foreign Secretary and I engage regularly with European counterparts on this issue, including at the Munich Security Conference on 14-16 February. On 2 March, the Prime Minister will convene a group of countries to discuss how we go forward together as allies in light of the situation that we face.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on support for small technological start-ups in Greater Manchester.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to support the digital economy, and ensuring that the UK continues to be one of the best places in the world for our tech businesses to start, scale and stay.
All businesses including those in Manchester can access their Local Growth Hubs, Last year the Business Secretary also announced a new ‘Business Growth Service’ (BGS) which overtime will make it easier and quicker for businesses across the UK to get the help, support and advice they need to grow and thrive. Other programmes include the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme and Enterprise Investment Scheme, which offer tax relief to individual investors in new companies and help companies raise money as they start to trade.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) midwives and (b) maternity units across Greater Manchester have up-to-date equipment.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The responsibility for local funding decisions, including on equipment, ultimately rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioner. To ensure midwives and maternity units across Greater Manchester have up-to-date equipment, the following steps are being taken locally:
- maternity units are required to maintain an equipment maintenance register and to implement a rolling program for the renewal and purchase of equipment; and
- midwives are required to adhere to provider policies that mandate checking equipment for suitability and that it is in good working order before use.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of hospital bed availability in health trusts in the NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Hospital bed occupancy, including in Manchester, is too high. This reduces the number of beds available for patients who require hospital admission.
Greater Manchester Integrated Care System continues to take action to support bed occupancy including a concentrated focus on the implementation of strategies and services aimed at preventing unnecessary hospital admissions, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to take steps to (a) improve signposting and (b) create a central database for small and medium enterprises on grants for which they are eligible.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
SMEs can identify available government grants to check which ones they are eligible to apply for on the Find Government Grants page on www.gov.uk.
As part of efforts to better support growth and productivity across the UK’s 5.5 million SMEs, the Department for Business and Trade is in the process of designing and implementing a new Business Growth Service.
With improved signposting, joined up across national and local business support services, the Business Growth Service will make it easier and simpler for SMEs to access information related to their business needs, including financing options.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has plans to provide support to (a) community and (b) social enterprises to help re purpose churches that are now closed.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Over 350 Grade I or II* closed listed churches have been saved by the Churches Conservation Trust. The Trust works with the public to ensure these churches once again stand at the heart of their communities, enjoyed as cultural, visitor, educational and social spaces.
The new Heritage Revival Fund will provide £4.85m in 2025/26 to support community organisations to bring neglected heritage buildings into community ownership and back into good use. Further details will be set out in Spring.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the modifications to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Based on the Department’s analysis of previous data, 94% of applications between 2022-2024 have been under £25,000, and most of these claims are for under £5,000. We believe that the modifications were necessary and adequate within the tight fiscal circumstances and considering competing financial demands in other parts of the heritage and cultural sector.